1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to timekeeping and, more particularly, to the use of digital time displays for general purpose timekeeping, as most individuals normally employ in conducting their daily activities within desired time schedules or requirements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Balanced, quadribalanced and enhanced quadribalanced digital time displays are disclosed in the prior art. Examples of patents which describe such displays include U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,737, U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,497 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,736 B1, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. These displays have a common characteristic, which is that at the conclusion of the first half of each hour, the time information transitions from elapsed time to remaining time.
More specifically, during the first half hour, the current hour in these displays is flanked on its right side by incrementing elapsed minutes in a single or dual up/down position. Thereafter the hour value increases by one to display the forthcoming next hour, minutes switch to a single or dual down/up position flanking the left side of the next hour and begin counting down the remaining minutes before the commencement of the next hour. An optional display of seconds counting up from zero to 59 during each elapsed minute and counting down from 59 to zero during each remaining minute also can be included.
3. Recognition of Problems in the Prior Art
Some individuals have expressed reservations about a transition, for example, from 12:30 and 30 seconds to 29 seconds and 29 minutes until 1:00, as occurs in the prior art displays. These feelings seem to be caused by the fact that as much time then remains to the next hour as has passed after the current hour, i.e., both periods are about equal. Therefore, there is a tendency by some to think that it is too soon to change from looking at past time to seeing and using a future time display. This seems to be confirmed by other opinions that the prior art remaining time displays are more fitting or useful as the hour comes closer to the beginning of the next hour. Apparently, as the remaining minutes lessen, it is thought better then to see how many are left before the next hour begins.
Another concern mentioned by some is whether viewers will be confused by the unusual placement of remaining minute digits on the left side of the hour, since conventional digital time displays traditionally have always placed all hour values in the lead position to be read first, followed by elapsed minutes in the trailing position on the right.
To a large extent, these problems or concerns are probably the product of unfamiliarity with the prior art balanced time displays, which to date have not been widely available in commerce. On the other hand, the time required to teach neophytes how to read such displays being less than a minute, from then on growing familiarity with the easily understood operating principles of the balanced time modes should be effective to substantially dispel the above problems or concerns.
The present invention provides a simple and effective solution to the foregoing difficulties which allows viewers to read unidirectionally displayed elapsed time throughout each hour in a new way. Specifically, in a digital time display, current hours are centrally digitally displayed while elapsed minutes are graphically digitally displayed to traverse around the current hour digital display in four or more successive, unidirectional segmented positions during the course of the entire hour. Preferably, the digital time display can switch from a unidirectional display to a quadribalanced or enhanced quadribalanced remaining time display whenever such a transition is desired. It is also preferred that there are only four segmented positions for the elapsed minutes display. The switch from unidirectional to quadribalanced or enhanced quadribalanced display can occur in any one of the segmented positions.
In broad terms, the invention is based on the concept that fully unidirectional elapsed time displays should be segmented into four quarter hour periods, with such periods moving from relatively upper to lower positions on the right side of the current hour during the first half hour, and thereafter from relatively lower to upper positions on the left side of the same current hour during the second half hour.
In such displays, the minutes are unidirectionally incremented from zero to 59 during the entire hour, with quarter hour position shifts around the perimeter of a centrally positioned current hour display, thus imparting the graphics of rotary motion to the minute digits in a manner not heretofore described.
Alternatively, such elapsed time displays can be made to switch during the second half hour to the then equivalent quadribalanced or enhanced quadribalanced display at the option of the viewer, so that he or she may decide when such a transition should be activated.